Jen Saxton used work data to record 'biggest win by mile' at St Andrews

Jen Saxton reckons a work project helped her follow in the footsteps of Catriona Matthew and Annika Sorenstam at St Andrews, though she’s likely to reassess some findings on her horror hole on the Old Course.

The 25-year-old, who is originally from Kinross but now lives in Dunfermline, emulated both Matthew and Sorenstam by winning the St Rule Trophy at the weekend, when two rounds on the New Course were followed by a closing circuit on the Old Course.

Saxton’s success, which came 12 months after she’d been balloted out of the St Andrews Links Trust event, saw the coveted prize end up in Scottish hands for the third time in a row after wins from Hazel MacGarvie and Hannah Darling in 2019 and 2021 respectively.

“That’s probably the biggest by a mile,” said Saxton, who won by three shots, of the victory. “It’s still not really sunk in yet, to be honest. It was incredible. I had tears in my eyes walking up 18.

“In the clubhouse afterwards, I was looking at the board and there are some big names on there - Catriona Matthew, Annika Sorenstam and others - so I’m in good company.”

Saxton, a Stirling University graduate, works as a marketing executive for Edinburgh-based innovative golf tech company Shot Scope, with one of her big projects recently being a study of how club golfers play the Old Course.

Using data obtained from people using the company’s shot-trackers, she has compiled a detailed document about every hole on the course in the build up to this year’s 150th Open.

“As part of my work, I’ve pulled together a 40-page document on how the amateurs play the Old Course as we can see where every shot has gone. We’ve got about 7,000 rounds on there at the moment,” she said.

Saxton’s own data from her round on Sunday was